Military Observers Released In Ukraine

John Christensen, right, a senior Sgt. in the Danish army and his colleague, both members of a group of foreign military observers are escorted by a pro-Russian militant to attend a press conference in the city hall of Slovyansk, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, April 27, 2014. As Western governments vowed to impose more sanctions against Russia and its supporters in eastern Ukraine, a group of foreign military observers remained in captivity Saturday accused of being NATO spies by a pro-Russian insurgency. The German-led, eight-member team was traveling under the auspices of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe when they were detained Friday. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

SLOVYANSK, Ukraine (AP) - Pro-Russia insurgents in eastern Ukraine on Saturday released the seven OSCE military observers and five Ukrainian assistants who had been held for more than a week.

The insurgent leader in Slovyansk was quoted as saying he ordered the release because of increasing insecurity in the city, where fighting broke out on Friday.

The observers, members of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe observer team, were seized on April 25 in Slovyansk, the epicenter of eastern Ukraine's unrest.

The insurgents said the team possessed unspecified suspicious material and alleged they were spying for NATO.

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